The Jesus Revolution & Evangelism: The Opportunity to Share Your Faith

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a Harvest Partner, just go to harvest.org.

That's harvest.org. When you share your faith next to being a Christian, this is one of the most joyful, fulfilling things we can do. It's not just for the lost people, folks. It's for us.

It's for us, too. Coming up today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the compelling truth that when we bring others to Christ, it brings us closer to Christ. I believe if we would just obey the Great Commission, we would experience personal revival. Our mission statement here at A New Beginning is knowing Him and making Him known, and today we'll see how those two ideas are inseparably linked. When we make Him known, we know Him better. When we draw other people to Christ, we're drawn to Christ.

Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? And today on the broadcast, as Pastor Greg Laurie brings us the final installment in his popular series examining the Jesus movement, we'll see how he can put that great idea into practice. Let's grab our Bibles and turn to Matthew chapter 28, and the title of my message is The Jesus Revolution in Evangelism. You know, one of the real traits of the Jesus movement was people were out everywhere sharing the gospel. That was the way it was back then.

You say, well, that's great, man. I wish it was that way today. Why can't it be that way today? Last time I checked, the Great Commission is still in the Bible.

You know what the Great Commission is. We'll read it in a moment, but it's the words of Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel. I know we're maybe reluctant to share that, but there's power in the message of the gospel. And the power's always been there, and the power will always be there. Because Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone who believes.

And the word that he uses there for power is the Greek word dunamis, which means dynamic dynamite power. If ever there was a generation that needs to be engaged with the gospel, it is this generation. You want to know what God gets excited about? If I can use that verbiage of God. God gets excited. Heaven gets excited when people believe in Jesus. The Bible says there is joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance.

I mean, think about that for a moment. Every time a person churns from their sin and puts their faith in Jesus Christ, there's a shout of praise in heaven. So I mentioned the Great Commission. Let's go to our text now. Matthew 28. Let's read it.

This is a very important statement that, frankly, we all should commit to memory. Jesus says, Matthew 28, verse 18, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

And lo, I am with you even to the end of the age. There is one more version of the Great Commission, if you will. That is in Mark 16, 15, where Jesus simply says, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. So to pull it all together, the Great Commission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel, led by the Holy Spirit to bring people to Christ, then to disciple them.

This is where a lot of people miss a key element. It's not just to proclaim the gospel. It's to lead people to Christ and disciple them, get them up on their feet spiritually, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you to the end of the age. I believe if we would just obey the Great Commission, we would experience personal revival.

Why do I say that? Because when you get your eyes off of yourself for a moment and think about somebody else that's lost and separated from God and leave your comfort zone and seek to share your faith next to being a Christian, this is one of the most joyful, fulfilling things we can do. And this is why the devil doesn't want us to do it. If there's one thing Christians and non-Christians have in common, it's this. We're both uptight about the gospel. Satan's uptight with us sharing the gospel. We're uptight with sharing the gospel.

So nonbelievers, they don't want to hear it. Don't talk to me because, like we were saying earlier, they think you're going to shove it down their throat. They think you're going to be judgmental and mean.

We should never be that way. Listen, if you want to win some, be winsome. Be nice about it. Share the gospel with a smile on your face. Care about the person you're talking to.

And build that bridge. So many times Christians burn bridges instead of build bridges. And the objective is not to win the argument.

It's to win the soul. Because I've seen some Christians who are very knowledgeable and they come in with both gospel guns loaded and they unload them on the nonbeliever and tear down their arguments and humiliate them and the nonbeliever says, what a jerk. I never want to talk to a Christian again.

You could have done a lot more if you just would have showed a little compassion and love and let them share for a while and say what they think and now you can respond appropriately with the message of the gospel. But this is the great commission. But sadly for many, the great commission is the great omission. Now let me say something that might surprise some, but I believe it's true. I believe to not share the gospel can actually be a sin.

Now you might say, well Greg you're going too far. Well wait. Hold on. What is a sin? There's different definitions of sin because there's different kinds of sin. One definition of sin is to cross a line. So if I'm told don't step on the black carpet and I step on the black carpet, I just cross the line.

That's called a trespass. So when I break a commandment or I do what God tells me not to do, I just cross the line. That's a sin.

That's a sin of commission. But then there's a sin of omission. The sin of omission is not doing what I should do. The Bible says to him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. So if I really believe the Bible and I really believe what the Bible says about the afterlife, that there really is a heaven and there really is a hell, if I really believe the gospel which effectively says Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, and I really believe if a person rejects Christ, they will spend eternity separated from him, and I don't even try to engage a person in a conversation. That could be the sin of omission.

You see? So we don't want that to happen. And I think also we miss out on a great blessing. Here's how it spiritually revives you. When you get a new believer in your life, it can reinvigorate your faith.

Listen to this. A new Christian needs an older believer in their life to stabilize them. An older Christian needs a younger believer in their life to energize them.

So if you've known the Lord for a long time and you just hang around with other people that have known the Lord for a long time, you go to church, you go out afterwards, maybe you argue theological minutia. But when you have a brand-new believer that's hearing this all for the first time, man, it's going to change you. You might actually talk about things that would interest the new believer, and then they'll ask you questions, and you may not have the answers.

Then again, you may have a lot more answers than you think. See, God does not give us this truth to hoard and to keep to ourselves. He gives us this truth to share, and Jesus said, Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, running over with the same measure you give, it will be given to you. When you're a generous believer in every way, that includes with your finances, that includes your evangelism, that includes everything, when you're a giving person, God will replenish your supply. And I think when you're around a new believer and they're asking you questions, well, it reminds you of things you've forgotten. Haven't you ever shared something with someone, and as you're sharing it, you get re-excited about it again?

Because you're telling them what Jesus did and what it was like when you first came to Christ and how your life was changed, and as you're sharing your story, you're getting all fired up about it. That's why you need to do it. It's not just for the lost people, folks. It's for us.

It's for us, too. And by the way, you know more than you think you know. I already said that, but you really do, because you sit in church all the time and you hear all these Bible studies.

It's going in your heart and it's going in your mind. And when you try to help someone, it'll start coming to your memory, because the Holy Spirit will bring it to your memory. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

Hey, everybody. Greg Laurie here, personally inviting you to join us for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a Bible study. It's a worship service. It's church in your home. Maybe you're not able to get out to your church right now. If so, join us for Harvest at Home. People are listening in from around the world.

Listen to this. We have seen thousands of people make a commitment to follow Christ. So join us this weekend for Harvest at Home at Harvest.org. Well, today, Pastor Greg is helping us realize the impact we can have in bringing a spiritual awakening to our culture and a revival to the church.

Let's continue now. If you want to experience revival, do revival-like things. What did we do back in those days? We told you already we had passionate, heartfelt worship. We studied the Word of God. We believed that Jesus Christ could come back at any moment.

And we shared our faith all of the time. I would just say to you, if you would just start doing those things, open every day with the Word of God, study the Word of God, start believing that Christ could come back at any moment and look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, you'll experience revival. Because, as I said, we overly mystify revival, too, as we do evangelism. Revival just means restoration to original condition. And revival starts with you. It starts with me.

So don't be worrying about everybody else. They need revival. This church needs revival. You need revival.

I need revival. Start with you. Make sure that you're firing on all cylinders as a follower of Christ.

Make sure you're doing the things that God has called you to do. Let it begin with you. And so that was our heart, and that still needs to be our heart, because this is not about what happened four to five years ago. This is about something that God wants us to do no matter what generation we're in. And that includes this generation. So I don't care what some people say, oh, I'm uncomfortable, it won't work today. Nonsense.

The gospel will always work, it will always change human hearts, and it's always the message God wants us to give to every generation, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So let me close by just extending an invitation to maybe somebody here who is not yet a Christian. You know, we're talking about talking to people like you, but maybe I'm actually talking to you right now. You're hearing these things for the first time.

Let me just get to the bottom line. You know why you have a big old hole in your heart? It's because you were created to know God. This modern world with all of our tech and all of our cool stuff hasn't filled the emptiness inside.

Drugs, sex, and rock and roll didn't do it in the 60s. High tech and all the things that we have to offer today won't do it in this time, and whatever we come up with and generations to come won't do it either, as long as the Lord tarries. The answer will always be Jesus. You were created to know God. You were created to have a relationship with God. I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about knowing Jesus in a personal way, and that's what appealed to me.

That's what I wanted. I wanted a relationship with God, because I really didn't have a relationship with anybody to speak of up to that point. I didn't even know how to have a relationship with someone. But then along comes Jesus, and He comes into my life, and God had so many promises given to me by adults, and they broke those promises, and they failed me over and over again and disappointed me, and here comes Jesus, and He makes a bunch of promises too, and He keeps every single promise. He's never failed me once ever. His promises are true, and He's kept them for me, and that's why I stand here talking to you about this today, that this is my job. This is not my job. This is my passion. This is my life.

He changed my life, and I want to see Him change other lives, and there might be somebody here right now, or somebody watching or listening that does not have this relationship with Jesus Christ. You're a sinner. You've broken God's commandments. We all have. You've crossed the line.

You've fallen short of the standard, but here's the good news. A thousand years ago, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross in your place, and He paid the price for all of your sin. Jesus Christ came to pay a debt He did not owe because you owed a debt you could not pay, and three days later, He rose again from the dead. Now He stands at the door of your life, and He knocks, and He says if you'll hear His voice and open the door, He'll come in. He can come into your life right now into that void that you can't fill in this modern world.

This is what you've been looking for. You know, my wife, she likes to put puzzles together. I have no idea why. I walk by a puzzle. I'm like, whatever, keep walking. Kathy will stop.

Oh, what are you, crazy? She enjoys it, and a while ago, she got a puzzle, and she put the whole thing together, and she called me, Greg, what? I'm missing a piece of the puzzle. The last piece is missing. We're literally on our hands and knees crawling around, and we finally found it.

She completed her puzzle. That's what life is like. You know, we put all the pieces in place.

Okay, if I just, you know, if I get married, and we have this many kids, and we live here, and I drive this, and this happens, and that happens, I'll be happy. You get all the little pieces in place, and you're all done, and there's something missing. It's not a something, it's a someone. It's Jesus. God holds the missing piece, a relationship with him, but to receive it, we have to reach out and say, I want you, Lord, in my life. In a moment, we're gonna pray, and I'm gonna give you an opportunity to ask Jesus Christ to come and live in your heart as your Savior and your Lord, and you can know then that you'll go to heaven when you die, and you can find the meaning and purpose in life you've been searching for for all of your life. So if you need Jesus right now, if you want this relationship with him, respond to this invitation as we all pray.

Let's all bow our heads. Father, thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming, and dying, and rising again, and thank you that you're here, right here, right now, knocking on the door of many hearts. I pray for folks that don't know you. I pray they'll come to you and believe. We ask in Jesus' name.

Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer. And if you want to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord, Pastor Greg will help you do that before today's edition of A New Beginning wraps up, and he'll have a final comment from our study at the very end of our time together. As we wrap up Pastor Greg's series called Jesus Revolution, maybe you've missed an installment or two along the way. Well, you can hear studies again online at harvest.org.

Stream them while you're there, or download an MP3 for later. Again, go to harvest.org. Or for a permanent copy on CD, call 1-800-821-3300.

We're here to take your call anytime, 24-7, again at 1-800-821-3300. The title of today's message is The Jesus Revolution and Evangelism. And then we're excited to make available Pastor Greg's book on the Jesus movement, the spiritual awakening of the 60s and 70s. The book is called Jesus Revolution. And you know, Pastor Greg, recently I've been more interested in the Great Awakening of the early 18th century.

I recently learned that my relatives came to America about that time, so it's really piqued my interest. But that revival was one of four that have swept this country. Isn't that right?

Yeah, that's right. Most historians agree there have been four great spiritual awakenings in the history of the United States. The first preceded our formation as a nation.

It happened in the colonies. Pre-American Revolution, George Whitefield, a spiritualist from Great Britain came and preached on our shores and brought the gospel to thousands of people and many, many people believed and it was a spiritual awakening. And then America was formed in the aftermath of it so you could say that America was born from a revival.

If we did not have that spiritual awakening, I seriously question if there could have been an America. Okay, so now you've mentioned the second revival and I've heard that President Lincoln when he was a younger man made a commitment to follow Christ during that great awakening. Then of course, you fast forward to the Fulton Street revival, the New York City revival where a man named Jeremiah Lamphere decided to start a prayer meeting that wasn't very well attended. Then the stock market crashed and then it was very well attended.

And theaters and Broadway were packed to the gills. Churches were packed. People were gathering every lunchtime in New York City and praying and thousands of people came to Christ and then the last great awakening was the one that I've written a book about. It was called The Jesus Revolution, The Jesus Movement.

You know, it's a funny thing, Dave. In the day, we called it The Jesus Movement but Time Magazine dubbed it Jesus Revolution. I think that's interesting because you hear a lot of talk these days about revolution. Our nation was born from a revolution but this was a spiritual revolution and I actually like the fact that it was called a Jesus revolution because that's what it was.

Not even a Christianity revolution or a religious revolution. It was a Jesus revolution. It was about Jesus. People were talking about Jesus. People were coming to Jesus and that is where our focus needs to be. We need another spiritual awakening. We need another Jesus revolution. So in my book on this topic, I tell my story. There's a lot of historical backdrop given so you can understand what the culture was like and I think as you read it, you're gonna say, wow, that parallels the times that we're living in right now. Riots in the street, social upheaval, racial division and more.

Yes, it was all happening but God stepped in. Thousands and thousands of young people came to Christ. I might also add the Jesus revolution and this is not common to every revival but the Jesus revolution was a youth awakening.

It specifically started with younger people. Other folks were impacted as well of all ages but it was primarily young people coming to Christ and we look at our youth today. Oh, how they need a relationship with Jesus Christ. How they need a touch of the Holy Spirit.

How they need their own Jesus revolution. So I'm hoping that you'll order a copy of this book that I'll send to you at no charge. All I ask in return is that you send your gift of any size that will help us to continue to teach the word of God as we do and preach the gospel and call more people to Christ. By the way, last year was our most spiritually fruitful year in the history of Harvest Ministries. Let's pray that 2021 is our greatest year ever and that's gonna happen if we all work together and pray together and it will happen if you will help us financially as well, I'm sure. So in advance, let me say thank you and I'll look forward to sending you your own copy of the Jesus revolution.

Yeah, that's right. We have a copy waiting for you here at A New Beginning so we hope you'll contact us today. We'll be glad to drop it in the mail right away.

Hey Dave, let me just interrupt for one moment. Don't forget to tell them that there's a study guide that we prepared to go along with Jesus revolution. Yeah, it'll be automatically sent with the book.

You know, it can really help you and your spouse or you and your small group dive more deeply into the insights and principles Pastor Greg shares in the book. So take advantage of this extra help. And again, we'll send both of these resources to thank you for your generous donation to help us continue this important work. Write us today at A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside, CA 92514. Or you can call our 24-hour phone number 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300.

Or go online to harvest.org. Well Pastor Greg, as you mentioned, you wanted to pray with those who want Jesus to come into their life. Can you help them take that next step right now?

Yes, I would be delighted to. And you that want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ, I want you to pray right now. And if you mean this prayer from your heart, God will hear you. The Bible says draw near to God and he'll draw near to you.

And that's a step you'll be taking now. Pray this after me. God, I know that I'm a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin, but I thank you for sending Jesus Christ, your son, to die on the cross in my place. Now I turn from my sin and I choose to follow you this day forward as your disciple. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Now if you prayed that prayer a minute from your heart, God has heard you and he has forgiven you. We have some materials that we would like to send to you at no charge that will encourage you in this commitment you've made to Jesus Christ.

Yeah, that's right. We call this resource collection our New Believers Growth Packet. It'll help you get started in walking each day with the Lord. So get in touch and ask for your free New Believers Growth Packet. You can write a new beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300.

That's a 24-7 phone number, so you can call right now, 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. Well next time, Pastor Greg launches a new series to help us see what's waiting for us in the hereafter.

It's a series called The Afterlife and the Eternal. Join us next time here on A New Beginning. But as we wrap up Pastor Greg's series, Jesus Revolution, he closes in prayer. So Lord, we've heard your word. You've given us the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and you promised you're with us to the end of the age.

We're not alone. You've given us this power, you've given us this authority, and you've given us this commission. Now Lord, help us to do it. You've told us in scripture we will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon us to be witnesses unto you. Lord, we need this power. So fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit and give us a boldness like we've never had before. Give us a burden for lost people like we've never known before.

And open up opportunities and doors for us to engage people in conversations about Jesus. And Lord, we would be even so bold to pray that you'll give us the privilege of leading someone to you because you tell us in scripture, he that wins souls is wise. Lord, we want to win souls.

Use us in that way. And then taking a new believer under our wing, we can help them, they can help us, and you'll send revival in our life. You tell us if we go out sowing our seeds in sorrow that will come back, bringing our sheaves with us, rejoicing. Lord, we want to rejoice as you use us for your glory. So we commit ourselves to you and we ask you to go before us and we ask all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. The preceding message from Greg Laurie was made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Sign up for Pastor Greg's free daily email devotions at harvest.org.